I think that forsooth might be thinking that it would benefit the forum to continue an interesting thread that has attracted some controversy by warning certain posters to stay out of that thread, setting the program parameters so that the thread is on ignore for those posters or by just deleting their posts in that thread as quickly as possible.

Other methods which include suspending or banning are of course possible.

Personally, I think that killing the thread is unnecessary for the most part but maybe the above methods are not practical. That cap of power and responsibility is not sitting on my head.

I think that forsooth might be thinking that it would benefit the forum to continue an interesting thread that has attracted some controversy by warning certain posters to stay out of that thread, setting the program parameters so that the thread is on ignore for those posters or by just deleting their posts in that thread as quickly as possible.

Other methods which include suspending or banning are of course possible.

Personally, I think that killing the thread is unnecessary for the most part but maybe the above methods are not practical. That cap of power and responsibility is not sitting on my head.

Quite agree. There are some timely and/or very interesting threads in the News forum that have been closed. I understand the need to keep things civil, but it appears there is always the same one or two instigators who can't refrain from making personal insults. One would think their Mom or Dad were being pilloried instead of a technology company.

So why not just either delete their posts if they persist after warning? And why not just impose a ban on that particular poster after a warning? Enough temporary bans and I'm sure they will get the message.

Why penalize everyone else just because a few individuals can't control themselves?